Carnefix Ferry state park

     Carnefix ferry state park, in Nicholas county, is to memorialize a civil war battle that occurred there September 10th, 1861 (about one year prior to the battle of Charleston- which I've also posted about.)
     A battle that played a pivotal role in West Virginia's statehood.
The battle
     Following the events of the Battle of Kessler's Cross Lanes (not to be confused with the town of Cross Lanes in Kanawha county) union forces led by Brigadier General William S. Rosecrans attacked the confederates, led by General John B. Floyd, who were positioned around the Patterson farm, which set overlooking the Gauley River. Eventually Floyd had enough and retreated, down the mountain and back across the Gauley River under the cover of night, which to me seems like an impressive retreat. The Confederates have failed to regain control of the Kanawha valley.
The political effects 
Just after the battle at Carnefix Ferry, there were votes held in areas controlled by Federal forces whether or not to form a new state. A loss at Carnefix Ferry would have led to Confederate occupation and an entirely different vote
The overlook

The Patterson house which was caught in the crossfire and still has holes from the Battle on the inside (the clapboard siding has since been added)

Sources
Carnefix ferry, Battlefields.org

Bard, David "Battle of Carnifex Ferry." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 26 May 2011. Web. 29 April 2023.

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